The rifle would not have been a “private purchase” in the normal sense (service pattern rifle bought privately from a gunsmith) as Sir Abe Bailey underwrote the costs to the Union of South Africa of forming and equipping the unit.
I will ask Purdey’s archivist and historian if the records show whether the 24(?) rifles were supplied as part of Purdey’s Government contacts or as a separate batch.
Purdey received Government SMLE’s (presumably selected for accuracy) and Government Aldis scopes, and were paid £13 13s 6d per rifle to supply and fit their Purdey scope mounts.
Sights that were mounted by Purdey, later sold as surplus ftom broken up rifles p, are recognisable as the SMLE number was engraved on the scope by Purdey in their distinctive style.
In Martin Pegler’s out of Nowwhere” there is a picture (p.138) of the Sharpshooters in 1916 with pristine uniforms and unmolested SMLEs still full stocked as they would have left Purdey’s.
At page 142 taken in 1917 the rifles have been “sporerised” and camouflaged.
Legally Lieutenant Mehven, M.C. , may have been on shaky ground in arguing that his rifle was not “on charge” as Government property. However it is fortunate tgat he did or it would not have survived for posterity.
